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Category: Grand Canyon National Park

Before opening the North Rim

Cleaning sign North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

As most of you know I’ve returned from South Africa and am back to work at Grand Canyon.  Before opening the North Rim on May 15th us Interpretive Rangers have much to do getting ready to greet the visitors.  There’s cleaning, no not the canyon.  But we want the Visitor Center to shine and entice you to stop in.  We’re polishing up our Ranger programs in the hopes of being able to help visitors understand what they see here.  And that includes a whole lot more than just that big ditch.

Canyon view from Lodge North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Check out the video on the Grand Canyon Facebook page to see just how busy we are .  Should be up Thursday when the North Rim posts.

Canyon view from Mather Point South Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Next week we attend training on the South Rim for a few days.  Never really know what to expect with that yet it’s sure to be informative.

Sunset over canyon and Coloardo River from Toroweap Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

But it’s not all work.  We try to tie in some fun and exercise.  Like last year when we hiked Cathedral Wash.  So, Thursday and Friday the crew will be at Toroweap, in the middle of nowhere, at the edge of Grand Canyon.  I’ve been there before and posted about this iconic view.

I’m likely to be off the grid some days and look forward to connecting to nature instead of the net.  Plus share some new photos of the Grand Canyon.

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2014 Greeting from the North Rim

Grand Lodge closed North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

This greeting from the North Rim comes to you before it is open to the public.  The National Park Service and Forever Resort employees are getting ready for your arrival.

The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park opens May 15, 2014.  Unless a lot more snow falls.

Snow & fog view from RV North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Spring arrived in southern and central Arizona very early this year but winter lingers in the northern part of the state and although I drove through warm desert to get here, the North Rim greets me with snow my first night back.

Painted Desert Highway 89 north Arizona

I’ve driven, and posted about, the spring drive through diverse landscapes before: Painted Desert, Navajo Bridge, Vermilion Cliffs, Jacob Lake, and the Kaibab National Forest.

Meadows SR67 south Kaibab National Forest Arizona

As I left Jacob Lake heading south through the Kaibab I hoped to see snow along the way.  The patches hidden under the edge of the forest almost nonexistent.  The meadows look brown.

SR 67 South thru meadows Kaibab National Forest Arizona

Snow on the meadows SR67 Kaibab National Forest Arizona

Snow covered meadows SR67 south Kaibab National Forest Arizona

Note the dates on these photos

Over the last seven years I’ve made this drive the amount of spring snow continues to diminish.  On cleared roads with 2-5 foot snow banks I’ve driven past white meadows.  Sometimes large patches of snow on northern exposures frame well watered green meadows running with small flows of water between flooded dips we call lakes.  This year, barely any standing water except for small year-round lakes.

Meadows along SR67 south Kaibab National Forest Arizona

Snowy meadows SR67 north Kaibab National Forest Arizona

Snow on meadows Kaibab National Forest Arizona

Seeing the forest and meadows dry emphasizes the lack of snowpack for yet another year in the Southwest’s at least 17 year drought. Campfire and smoking restrictions are now in place on the  Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott and Tonto National Forests in Arizona, but not the North Kaibab district adjacent to the North Rim of the park.  Couldn’t even have a BBQ at the Flagstaff KOA.  Will spend a lot of time this spring talking to visitors about fire safety.

Vermilion Cliffs & Navajo Mt through 2006 Warm Fire Kaibab National Forest Arizona

2006 Warm Fire

Due to human intervention and the “put it out” suppression policy of fire on public land for over 100 years fuel accumulation can ramp up catastrophic fires whether human caused or natural.

Snow on Transept Canyon walls North Rim Grand Canyon Arizona

Climate change can not be denied.  Humans are only part to blame.  Earth is a cyclic planet in motion and changing all the time.  In fact those colorful rock layers in the canyon were deposited in much different environments than we know today.  The Grand Canyon is a 1.8 billion year old record of climate change.

RV & truck with snow North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Having just come from summer in South Africa followed by spring in Yarnell and not being a big fan of cold and snow, I pretty much stayed inside and unpacked the RV.  But when the sun came out so did I.

Sunset over Transept Canyon North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

So even though I returned to snow fall for a day and half it’s mostly melted already and the ground is barely moist.  We could get more as sometimes it snows into June.  And hopefully there will be a very wet monsoon season this summer.

Hope you’ll come for a visit and find out.  But please be careful with fire.

Grand Canyon National Park North Rim 34 Comments

Lijit

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